Photo courtesy Fitzgerald Photography and Special Olympics Alaska Brittany Tregarthen (right) celebrates her third-place finish during the presentation ceremony Monday at the Special Olympic World Games, underway this week in Los Angeles, Calif. Tregarthe

Brittany Tregarthen finished third in the powerlifting finals at the Special Olympics World Summer Games, currently underway in Los Angles, Calif. The 27-year-old is one of four Alaskans to be selected to the World Games. She moved from Cedaredge to Alaska in 2007 with her family.

On Monday, July 27, she competed in the powerlifitng finals. Brittany lifted in three categories:

Her squat lift of 143.5 pounds earned third place;

her bench lift of 110 pounds earned second place; and

her deadlift of 159.5 pounds earned fourth place.

Combined, Brittany took third place.

Tregarthen has been a Special Olympic athlete for 12 years, competing in a variety of events. She has been powerlifting for about five years.

According to a feature story by Derek Clarkston for the Kodiak Daily Mirror (and reprinted in the July 22 issue of the Delta County Independent), Tregarthen was selected more than a year ago by Special Olympics Alaska to compete in the World Games. Her name was drawn randomly from a group of powerlifters who won gold medals at the 2014 state games. She solidified her spot on the U.S. team after a training session in Indianapolis.

Many relatives are on hand to celebrate Brittany's success, including her mom, Suzanne Bobo.

The World Games is a nine-day event that unites 7,000 athletes from 177 nations to compete in 25 different sports. The opening ceremonies were July 25 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Photo courtesy Fitzgerald Photography
and Special Olympics Alaska
Brittany Tregarthen concentrates during one of her lifts at the Special Olympics World Games.